Two-Thirds of Canadians Approve of Marijuana Decriminalization

Sixty-six percent of Canadians polled by Ipsos Reid for Postmedia News are in favor of decriminalizing the possession and use of small amounts of marijuana.

This overwhelming support directly contrasts Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s position, which is that illegal drugs should be battled by law enforcement, regardless of amount. At this year’s Summit of the Americas, Harper stated of marijuana and other drugs, “No amount of law — whether it’s having the approach in the Muslim world to execution, all the way to full legalization, nothing is going to prevent the reality that this is a trade, people attempting to make rich by destroying people’s lives. It’s that simple.”

The poll found that more people living in households without children were in favor of decriminalization than those with children in their homes. It was also discovered that 75% of people who make over $100,000 are in favor of decriminalization.

The online survey was conducted June 18-25. The margin of error is 3.1 percentage points.